Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
Encyclopedia
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) is an executive
department
of the government of Florida
.
The Commissioner of Agriculture
(directly elected by voters statewide for a four-year term, and a member of the Florida Cabinet
) is the head of the department. The current commissioner is Adam Putnam
.
of 1868 provided for the creation of the Office of Commissioner of Immigration, whose duties consisted of attracting settlers to engage in agriculture. The Florida Constitution
was amended in 1871 to consolidate the offices of Surveyor General and Commissioner of Immigration as the new Commissioner of Lands and Immigration. In 1885, the Constitution was revised and the Commissioner of Lands and Immigration post was renamed Commissioner of Agriculture. The duties of the Commissioner of Agriculture were revised to include supervision of the state prisons. (A Division of Corrections
was created in 1957 and state prisons were removed from the list of Commissioner of Agriculture responsibilities).
The Agricultural Services Reorganization Act (ASRA) was passed in 1959 and became effective January 15, 1961. This state law
abolished some independent boards and bureaus, which were assigned to the Department of Agriculture's divisions. These included: Administration, Animal Industry, Dairy Industry, Fruit and Vegetable Inspection, Marketing, Plant Industry, Inspection and Standards. The State Chemist, a position that existed since 1891, was moved to the new Division of Chemistry.
The Legislature created the Office of Consumer Services in 1967. The Executive Reorganization Act of 1969 renamed the Office of Consumer Services the Division of Consumer Services and the Board of Forestry the Division of Forestry. The Department of Agriculture was renamed the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS).
The 1992 Legislature passed Chapter 92-291 of the Laws of Florida, which formally organized the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services into the following divisions: Administration, Agricultural Environmental Services
(AES), Animal Industry, Plant Industry
, Marketing and Development
, Dairy Industry
, Food Safety
, Fruit
and Vegetables, Consumer Services
, Forestry
, Standards, Aquaculture
, and Licensing.
In addition to the above divisions, the FDACS includes separate offices for Agricultural Law Enforcement
, Agricultural Water Policy, Agricultural Emergency Preparedness, the Inspector General
, as well as for the Commissioner of Agriculture.
Executive (government)
Executive branch of Government is the part of government that has sole authority and responsibility for the daily administration of the state bureaucracy. The division of power into separate branches of government is central to the idea of the separation of powers.In many countries, the term...
department
Government agency
A government or state agency is a permanent or semi-permanent organization in the machinery of government that is responsible for the oversight and administration of specific functions, such as an intelligence agency. There is a notable variety of agency types...
of the government of Florida
Government of Florida
The government of Florida is a constitutional republic with three branches of government, including the executive branch consisting of the Governor of Florida and the other elected and appointed constitutional officers; the legislative branch, the Florida Legislature, consisting of the Senate and...
.
The Commissioner of Agriculture
Florida Commissioner of Agriculture
The Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services is the head of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services . The position is elected by voters statewide and is one of four members in the Florida Cabinet...
(directly elected by voters statewide for a four-year term, and a member of the Florida Cabinet
Florida Cabinet
The Florida Cabinet is a body of the government of Florida that engages in the collective governance of the state.Created following Reconstruction, when there had been a widespread distrust of the governors appointed by the federal government, the cabinet was designed to decentralize authority from...
) is the head of the department. The current commissioner is Adam Putnam
Adam Putnam
Adam H. Putnam is the current Florida Commissioner of Agriculture and the former U.S. Representative for , serving from 2001 until 2011. He is a member of the Republican Party.-Early life, education and career:...
.
History
The Florida ConstitutionFlorida Constitution
The Constitution of the State of Florida is the document that establishes and describes the duties, powers, structure and function of the government of the U.S. state of Florida, and establishes the basic law of the state....
of 1868 provided for the creation of the Office of Commissioner of Immigration, whose duties consisted of attracting settlers to engage in agriculture. The Florida Constitution
Florida Constitution
The Constitution of the State of Florida is the document that establishes and describes the duties, powers, structure and function of the government of the U.S. state of Florida, and establishes the basic law of the state....
was amended in 1871 to consolidate the offices of Surveyor General and Commissioner of Immigration as the new Commissioner of Lands and Immigration. In 1885, the Constitution was revised and the Commissioner of Lands and Immigration post was renamed Commissioner of Agriculture. The duties of the Commissioner of Agriculture were revised to include supervision of the state prisons. (A Division of Corrections
Florida Department of Corrections
The Florida Department of Corrections, established in 1821, operates state prisons in Florida. It has its headquarters in Tallahassee.The Florida Department of Corrections operates the third largest state prison system in the United States...
was created in 1957 and state prisons were removed from the list of Commissioner of Agriculture responsibilities).
The Agricultural Services Reorganization Act (ASRA) was passed in 1959 and became effective January 15, 1961. This state law
State law
In the United States, state law is the law of each separate U.S. state, as passed by the state legislature and adjudicated by state courts. It exists in parallel, and sometimes in conflict with, United States federal law. These disputes are often resolved by the federal courts.-See also:*List of U.S...
abolished some independent boards and bureaus, which were assigned to the Department of Agriculture's divisions. These included: Administration, Animal Industry, Dairy Industry, Fruit and Vegetable Inspection, Marketing, Plant Industry, Inspection and Standards. The State Chemist, a position that existed since 1891, was moved to the new Division of Chemistry.
The Legislature created the Office of Consumer Services in 1967. The Executive Reorganization Act of 1969 renamed the Office of Consumer Services the Division of Consumer Services and the Board of Forestry the Division of Forestry. The Department of Agriculture was renamed the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS).
The 1992 Legislature passed Chapter 92-291 of the Laws of Florida, which formally organized the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services into the following divisions: Administration, Agricultural Environmental Services
Environmental protection
Environmental protection is a practice of protecting the environment, on individual, organizational or governmental level, for the benefit of the natural environment and humans. Due to the pressures of population and our technology the biophysical environment is being degraded, sometimes permanently...
(AES), Animal Industry, Plant Industry
Horticulture
Horticulture is the industry and science of plant cultivation including the process of preparing soil for the planting of seeds, tubers, or cuttings. Horticulturists work and conduct research in the disciplines of plant propagation and cultivation, crop production, plant breeding and genetic...
, Marketing and Development
Advertising
Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...
, Dairy Industry
Dairy farming
Dairy farming is a class of agricultural, or an animal husbandry, enterprise, for long-term production of milk, usually from dairy cows but also from goats and sheep, which may be either processed on-site or transported to a dairy factory for processing and eventual retail sale.Most dairy farms...
, Food Safety
Food safety
Food safety is a scientific discipline describing handling, preparation, and storage of food in ways that prevent foodborne illness. This includes a number of routines that should be followed to avoid potentially severe health hazards....
, Fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
and Vegetables, Consumer Services
Consumer protection
Consumer protection laws designed to ensure fair trade competition and the free flow of truthful information in the marketplace. The laws are designed to prevent businesses that engage in fraud or specified unfair practices from gaining an advantage over competitors and may provide additional...
, Forestry
Forestry
Forestry is the interdisciplinary profession embracing the science, art, and craft of creating, managing, using, and conserving forests and associated resources in a sustainable manner to meet desired goals, needs, and values for human benefit. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands...
, Standards, Aquaculture
Aquaculture
Aquaculture, also known as aquafarming, is the farming of aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans, molluscs and aquatic plants. Aquaculture involves cultivating freshwater and saltwater populations under controlled conditions, and can be contrasted with commercial fishing, which is the...
, and Licensing.
In addition to the above divisions, the FDACS includes separate offices for Agricultural Law Enforcement
Specialist law enforcement agency
A specialist law enforcement agency is a law enforcement agency which specialises in the types of laws it enforces, or types of activities it undertakes, or geography it enforces laws in, or these in combination....
, Agricultural Water Policy, Agricultural Emergency Preparedness, the Inspector General
Inspector General
An Inspector General is an investigative official in a civil or military organization. The plural of the term is Inspectors General.-Bangladesh:...
, as well as for the Commissioner of Agriculture.
Organization
The Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is headed by the Commissioner, who is elected statewide to a four year term. The Commissioner is assisted in managing the Department by a Chief of Staff, three Deputy Commissioners and one Assistant Deputy Commissioner. The Department is organizated into twelve programatic Divisions and one support Division, each headed by a Division Director. Each Division is subdivided into Bureaus, with each headed by a Bureau Chief. The Bureaus are further subdivided into Sections.- Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services
- Chief of Staff
- Office of the Commissioner
- Office of Agricultural Emergency Preparedness
- Office of Agricultural Law Enforcement
- Office of Agricultural Water Policy
- Office of Cabinet Affairs
- Office of Federal-State Relations
- Office of Legislative Affairs
- Office of Policy and Budget
- Office of Public Information
- Administration Division
- Information Technology Bureau
- Finance and Accounting Bureau
- General Services Bureau
- Personnel Management Bureau
- Training and Development Section
- Deputy Commissioner
- Plant Industry Division
- Botany Bureau
- Biological Control Bureau
- Plant and Apiary Inspection Bureau
- Pest Eradication and Control Bureau
- Fruit and Vegetables Division
- Inspection Bureau
- Technical Control Bureau
- Marketing and Development Division
- Development and Information Bureau
- Agricultural Dealer’s Licenses Bureau
- Food Distribution Bureau
- State Farmers’ Market Bureau
- Seafood and Aquaculture Marketing Bureau
- Education and Communication Bureau
- Agricultural Statistics Service Bureau
- Plant Industry Division
- Deputy Commissioner
- Forestry Division
- Field Operations Bureau
- Forest Management Bureau
- Forest Protection Bureau
- Forest Resources and Support Bureau
- Animal Industry Division
- Disease Control Bureau
- Diagnostic Laboratories Bureau
- Standards Division
- Fair Rides Inspection Bureau
- Liquefied Petroleum Gas Inspection Bureau
- Petroleum Inspection Bureau
- Weights and Measures Bureau
- Forestry Division
- Deputy Commissioner
- Dairy Division
- Diary Inspection Bureau
- Dairy Compliance Monitoring Bureau
- Agricultural Environmental Sciences Division
- Agricultural Environmental Laboratories Bureau
- Pesticides Bureau
- Entomology and Pest Control Bureau
- Compliance Monitoring Bureau
- Food Safety Division
- Food and Meat Inspection Bureau
- Food Laboratories Bureau
- Chemical Residue Laboratories Bureau
- Dairy Division
- Assistant Deputy Commissioner
- Aquaculture Division
- Consumer Services Division
- Compliance Bureau
- Mediation and Enforcement Bureau
- Investigations Bureau
- Consumer Assistance Bureau
- Licensing Division
- License Issuance Bureau
- Regulation and Enforcement Bureau
- Support Services Bureau
- Surveyors and Mappers
- Office of the Commissioner
- Office of the General Counsel
- Office of the Inspector General
- Chief of Staff